Tag: 95/100

Basil Hayden’s Manhattan

TJ Provost

The Basil Hayden’s Manhattan is my go to standard. If you are looking for a great Manhattan recipe you can’t go wrong with any of these.

The base is Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, mixed with sweet vermouth, Dom Benedictine, and garnished with a Bada Bing Cherry or two.

Basil Hayden's Manhattan
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan

Manhattan Recipe

This recipe uses the standard two parts bourbon to one part sweet red wine/liquor. I like to split the sweet and use 1/2 ounce of Vermouth and 1/2 ounce of D.O.M. Benedictine. It makes for a Manhattan that has a sweet finish. If you like cherries, put a teaspoon or two of the cherry juice in your shaker before you mix.

  • 2 ounces Basil Hayden’s
  • 1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth
  • 1/2 ounce Dom Benedictine
  • 2 Bada Bing Cherries

Basil Hayden’s Manhattan Scoring

This combo results in just the perfect level of sweetness that blends and swirls with Basil Hayden’s woody, spicy, and oaky notes. This bourbon has just the right mix of flavors to blend perfectly into a Manhattan. Sure, there are more expensive bottles of bourbon out there, but more expensive doesn’t mean better.

This Manhattan scores a 95/100, putting it at the very top of the Manhattan scale.

BottleScorePriceType
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan95$30 / 750mlManhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan92$40 / 750mlManhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan90$50 / 750mlManhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned83$15 / 350mlOld Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan80$40 / 750mlManhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan74$40 / 750mlManhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan73$30 / 750mlManhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan69$30 / 750mlManhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan65$30 / 750mlManhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan53$30 / 750mlManhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan50$20 / 750mlManhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan49$35 / 750mlManhattan
Breaker Manhattan35$55 / 750mlManhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan35$25 / 750mlManhattan

See all Mixed Drinks here!

Whiskey Dreams – Jameson The Distiller’s Safe

TJ Provost

I live in a very small town? How small? So small that I had tried every bourbon they had and picked up this bottle of The Distiller’s Safe because it was one of the only bottles in the store I hadn’t tried yet. Sadly, since that first lucky day, I haven’t been able to find it again.

How good is it? Well, this should tell you something…

I’ve had this bottle of The Distiller’s Safe for two weekends, with the week in between, and I’ve found it to be so smooth, mellow, and easy to sip that it just kind of evaporates out of the bottle. Some sippers have complained that it is too mild, that the flavor isn’t there, but I have to disagree, I think this is the perfect blend of smooth, tasty caramel mixed with just the right hints of sweet fruits.

How did Jameson pull it off? As the name implies, they let their Head/Master Distiller Brian Nation have the reigns and let his skills shine through in this blended mix of pot still and grain whiskey that is aged for approximately 5 to 6 years in ex bourbon casks. Please note I’m calling it blended based on what I know, but Jameson hasn’t confirmed exactly how its made so I am making an educated guess.

Compared to regular Jameson this The Distiller’s Safe knocks the ball out of the park. It is clean, smooth, and so much more refined.

Distiller’s Safe is light in color, but don’t let that fool you, that light color hides a depth of sweet, easy sipping that earned this a very high score, easily putting it in the top of the Sip Worthy territory.

Jameson Distiller’s Safe earned every point of its 95/100.

Jameson The Distiller’s Safe

Color

Lighter copper mixed with touches of amber.

Proof

43.0% ABV

Pros

  • So smooth that even non whiskey drinkers will enjoy it.
  • Subtle but elegant.
  • The nose is perfect to train on as there are plenty of swirling characteristics to pin point.

Cons

  • Some people might find the subtleness to be a con. If you like strong flavors over subtle ones, this might not be the whiskey for you.
  • It is very hard to find (near me).
  • Can get expensive if you really liked it.
BottleScorePriceType
Redbreast Cask Strength97$100 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey97$160 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon96$65 / 750mlBourbon
Redbreast 12 Years96$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe95$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon94$45 / 750mlBourbon
Redbreast Lustau Edition92$65 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redbreast 1591$115 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Irish Whiskey90$75 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Dubliner 10 Year89$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Irish Whiskey 16 Year88$95 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Powers Three Swallow Irish Whiskey87$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Single Malt87$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Knappognue Castle Irish Whiskey 12 Year87$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Smooth Ambler Contradiction Whiskey86$40 / 700mlBourbon
Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey86$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson Triple Triple Travel Exclusive85$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Uncle Nearest 185684$60 / 750mlWhiskey
Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey84$55 / 700mlBourbon
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Year82$45 / 750mlScotch
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon81$50 / 750mlBourbon
Willett Pot Still Reserve Whiskey81$65 / 700mlBourbon
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year81$65 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Old Forester 1870 Bourbon80$55 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson 18 Year Irish Whiskey80$140 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey80$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson IPA Edition80$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey80$125 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Don Julio 194280$190 / 750mlTequila
Monkey Shoulder Scotch79$30 / 750mlScotch
West Cork Irish Whiskey77$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
ChestNut Farms Bourbon77$70 / 750mlBourbon
Basil Hayden’s75$35 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson Irish Whiskey75$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey74$45 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Slane Irish Whiskey74$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey 12 Year73$55 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey72$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey72$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey72$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey71$35 / 750mlBourbon
Appleton Estate Reserve Blend Rum70$35 / 750mlRum
Mr. Whiskey70$20 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey70$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey70$20 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tito’s Vodka69$30 / 750mlVodka
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey69$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Death’s Door68$40 / 750mlBourbon
Kavanagh 16 Year Irish Whiskey66$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
McConnell’s Irish Whisky66$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Kirkland Irish Whiskey65$18 / 1500mlIrish Whiskey
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey65$28 / 1500mlIrish Whiskey
Ha’Penny Irish Whiskey64$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Wild Turkey Bourbon63$30 / 750mlBourbon
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey62$65 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Stillhouse Black Bourbon61$20 / 750mlBourbon
Maker’s Mark Bourbon60$30 / 750mlBourbon
Fighting Cock Bourbon58$20 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson Orange55$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Buffalo Trace55$25 / 750mlBourbon
Fistful Of Bourbon53$40 / 750mlBourbon
Kilbrin 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey52$55 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey51$30 / 750mlBourbon
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon50$35 / 750mlBourbon
Howler Head Whiskey50$25 / 700mlWhiskey
Knob Creek Small Batch49$35 / 750mlBourbon
Blade And Bow48$50 / 750mlBourbon
Proclamation Irish Whiskey44$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey40$60 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redemption Bourbon 40$30 / 750mlBourbon
Natterjack Irish Whiskey35$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Hell-Cat Maggie Irish Whiskey32$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Grace O’Malley Believe in Grace Irish Whiskey31$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Baha Founders Reserve30$65 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Woodford Reserve29$35 / 750mlBourbon
Breaker29$65 / 750mlBourbon
Pure Kentucky28$35 / 750mlBourbon
Stranahan's27$60 / 750mlWhiskey
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey26$45 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey15$30 / 750mlBourbon
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey10$20 / 750mlBourbon
Hill Billy Bourbon9$20 / 750mlBourbon
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey5$25 / 750mlWhiskey
The Busker Irish Whiskey4$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey3$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask1$100 / 750mlScotch
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey1$25 / 750mlBourbon
Highland Park Magnus Single Malt Scotch0$40 / 750mlScotch
Pops McCann0$40 / 750mlWhiskey
Silkie Irish Whiskey0$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey